The Community Impact of Rationale-Based Recipes Focusing on Managing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

As the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) continues to rise, there has been increased efforts to control risk factors for and mitigate complications associated with this disease by adding nonpharmacologic treatment strategies. Many of these strategies focus on lowering blood glucose levels by reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing foods such as vegetables and fruits high in fiber and with low glycemic indexes. Undergoing drastic changes to lifestyles adds significant burden to T2DM management. The goal of this project was to reduce the burden of complex dietary restrictions by giving examples of healthy foods, explaining what was healthy, and listing potential substitutions that could be made to favorite dishes. The five recipes posted were: Greek Chicken Salad Pitas, Turkey Eggplant Bake, Baked Blueberry Walnut Oatmeal, Zoodles with Avocado Pesto, and Crockpot Chicken Lentil Chili. The recipes were preceded by rationales that highlighted the main ingredients in each recipe and explained its significance in a healthy diet. The rationales and recipes were posted to the Facebook pages of “ONU HealthWise” and “ONU HealthWise Pharmacy.” To gauge how this project was received by the public, “reach” and “engagements” were recorded for each post.